


Howls in Halloween

by Bleu_Wolf



Series: Seasonal [3]
Category: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Video Game)
Genre: CLAUSION, Halloween 2019, M/M, Seasonal Fanfic, XGRANGER
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 01:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21227603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bleu_Wolf/pseuds/Bleu_Wolf
Summary: It was just a mission. Just a small mission but it's no fun when you get lost in the middle of nowhere.But hey, it's fine when there's an inn.Right?





	Howls in Halloween

The carriage creaked, leaning to the side when its wheel dropped into a pothole. A grunt came from the horses, dragging the carriage out from the depression on the ground. The bog was not friendly to the trespassers. The driver’s whipped cracked and the horses whinnied as they pull the carriage back out.

Gusion grunted when his head hit the roof of the carriage. He glared at the one who snorted. Claude heaved a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

The brunet leaned back in his seat, sighing through his lips. “Are you sure we’re in the right way?”

“That’s what the map said.” Claude glanced at the map Dexter spread out on the floor. Every section of the Land of Dawn was drawn on the map and highlighted with different colour - Nos Gal is blue, Celestial city is red and the Empire is golden yellow. The former thief looked up at their leader who was staring at a yellowed piece of paper.

X.Borg glanced at the job request flyer, before looking up at his partner. Granger was too focused in his thoughts to notice a pair of eyes blinking at him. Piercing red eyes shifted to the half-human half-robot beside him.

“What?”

“Nothing, just.” X.Borg scratched at the back of his neck. “Are you sure this is the right way?”

“It’s what written on the paper,” Granger waved the flyer in front of the cyborg’s face. As the hunter said, the location where an Abyssal beast was spotted was written above the reward amount. A sketch of said beast depict it having an ox like skull with glowing green eyes and fur that looked more like a cape draped over a body. The arms were bent like a mantis but the claws were as long as its forearm, grazing the ground.

A reward promising of 320, 000, 000 BP drew the four men’s attention to choose such mission.

As mouthwatering the reward might be, there is only one problem-

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Gusion mumbled. His fingers drummed nervously on his knee, purple magic sparkling on the tip. The magic died away when a calloused hand rested on the slender fingers. Gusion looked up, blushing at the smile Claude gave him.

X.Borg stared with scrunched eyebrows at the compass in his hands. “Uhhh…”

“Do you even know how to use that?” Granger asked, giving a judgmental glare at the cyborg.

X.Borg puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. “Of course, I do. All you have to do is umm…look at the map and then, follow the direction based on the compass.”

“It’s a compass,” Granger bluntly said. “Not a GPS.”

“I-I know that!” the cyborg blurted out. Gusion and Claude could already tell what their fate is. Granger sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Why did he even let X.Borg be in charge of the directions?

It was getting darker every minute. The sounds coming from the forest were more eerie with distant moaning of monsters and snapping of twigs. Musky smell of the bog burned their nostrils, even made them gag. It smelled like rotting death. 

A sudden explosion of thunder made the former thief jump. Claude’s hand went to clutch on his chest, feeling how his own heart hammered against his rib cage. His ears caught someone snickering and he glared at Dexter who was trying not to laugh. But out of the corners of his eyes, he could see Granger’s shoulder shook slightly. Probably holding in his laughter.

Claude gritted his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest. Granger pretended not to notice and raised one hand to knock on the roof. “Jackwidj, do you see anything out there?”

The carriage driver took some time to answer. Jackwidj squinted in the darkness. In the shadows, he saw a glowing light. Then, a silhouette of a building came into view. A worn out sign creaked under the small breaths of wind - Moonhaven Inn with the first ‘o’ in the shape of a crescent moon.

“There is an inn, sir. Would you like to take a rest?”

“Yes, please.” Gusion blurted out. Granger raised a brow at him but said nothing. It was hard to deny anymore, he was getting tired. Besides, they needed to take a proper look at the map again or else they would end up walking around in circles…again.

The carriage stopped at the inn. Jackwidj hopped from his perch and waddled over to open the door. Claude was the first to jump out, stretching his back. Dexter climbed up his body to perch on his shoulder, stretching his back as well. The other three followed suit, stretching and releasing any tension in their worn out joints.

“I will bring the horses to the stables.” Jackwidj returned to his seat. “I will see you in the morning.”

Granger nodded before walking into the building. The others trailed behind him like obedient puppies. Their mud covered boots left trails on the fading carpet. A draft whispered down the stairs leading to the second floor. Floating lights above creaked on their rusty chains, threatening to fall any minute. The inside was empty save for one figure hunched over on the counter.

The demon hunter approached the inn keeper. Be fore he could take another step closer to the counter, the scraggly old woman lifted her head. Beady eyes glaring at the four young men. Claude decided to step behind Gusion, earning an eye roll from the assassin.

“Newcomers,” she croaked. “How may I help the lot of you in this wonderful evening?”

“4 rooms for one night,” Granger responded like a robot.

The woman raised a thin, faded brow before shakily turning on her stool. She slid off the chair. The silence in the inn broken by the muffled thud of her cane on the carpet. Running her withered fingers on the rows of glittering keys, the inn keeper snatched two sets of keys from their hooks before turning around with a grin on her face.

“All of our single rooms are currently booked,” Pink tongue darted out to lick her dry lips. “I can only give our double bedrooms to you.”

Gusion took one of the keys before there are any protests. He ignored the glare from the demon hunter. “Perfect. We all need some sleep. Come on, Claude,” He dragged the flailing gunner to their room, leaving a cyborg and an emo hunter in the lobby.

Borg flinched as a pair of piercing red eyes fell on him. “Umm…should we go to our rooms?”

Granger sighed. “Yeah, let’s.”

The two men walked up the stairs to the second floor, unaware of the smirk being directed their way.

Meanwhile,

“Ahh, bed! I miss you,” Claude dropped himself on the soft bed, his body bouncing upon impact. Dexter curled himself beside Claude’s head.

Gusion shrugged off his cloak, sighing at the lightness he had been missing. The delicate, violet coloured cloak was hung on a hook by the door. It was his late father’s favourite cloak given by his caretaker. The brunet sat down on the bed, relishing the feeling of cotton like softness on his palm.

Then, warmth spread all over his back. Claude placed a gentle kiss on his nape. Gusion smirked, lifting a hand to ruffled the large tuft of brown hair. “Not sleepy yet?”

Claude hummed. “I’m not unless you’re in bed with me.”

“Charming,” Gusion pushed him away. “But I need a bath first. My body feels sticky.”

“I can help you!”

GUsion snickered. “Not now, maybe later.”

The brunet quickly snatched a bath towel before Claude could pull him down on the bed. He gave his partner a wink before locking the bathroom door. Gusion leaned against the door, listening to Claude’s frustrated whining. He giggled before heading towards the shower stall.

*******

“Psst, Granger.”

X.Borg gritted his teeth when he got no response from the hunter. Granger had one arm under the pillow while the other covering his eyes. A light snoring followed the gentle rise and fall of his chest. It was a beautiful sight, yet the cyborg had something more important in mind.

“Granger!” He hissed.

Granger groaned, turning on his side. X.Borg wanted to tear out the remaining hair he had. The blue haired cyborg shook the hunter’s shoulder. He got a reaction but only for Granger to grab a pillow and cover his face with it.

“Damn it, Granger,” X.Borg took a deep breath. He knew he will die for doing this but it had to be done.

X.Borg clutched his fingers on Granger’s chest, specifically where his nipple should be. A small moan came from the hunter’s throat. X.Borg swallowed and his fingers twisted the nub.

“Oww!” Granger jolted at the sudden pain on his chest. In his groggy state and blurry vision, he saw a familiar cyborg looming over him. Granger’s red eyes narrowed and the shadows did not stop the menacing glow of those ruby colour.

Like staring into the eyes of a demon.

“You have 5 seconds to explain yourself.”

X.Borg waved his hands. “No, no, no don’t bring out the violin yet,” He noticed the hand relaxed on the violin case. “Listen, I…I think I heard something.”

The hand tightened again on the violin case. X.Borg grabbed a pillow and used it as a makeshift shield. “Ummm I…I was going to the bathroom when umm..”

Granger growled. He was losing his patience. In any minute, someone’s eardrums are going to get destroyed.

“I heard like something growling or howling…”

“Howling?”

X.Borg nodded. “Yeah, like a dog.”

“There’s no dogs here.”

“That’s the point.”

Granger sighed. “It’s probably just the wind. Or maybe those wild dogs in the woods. You’re just imagining things.”

X.Borg watched his partner lie down on the bed. “Go back to sleep,” He said before facing the wall.

The cyborg groaned, near tearing his hair out. He did the inevitable and shook his partner’s shoulder again. He was doomed to die anyway, one way or another.

Granger lifted his head from the pillow, death written on his face. Before X.Borg could explain himself, Granger already opened his mouth.

“If I help you stop whatever is keeping you awake, will you let me sleep?” He grumbled, the fatigue in his tone made the cyborg felt guilty. But his peace matters more now.

The corridor was cold when they stepped out. The floorboards creaked under their weight. Glass clinked from downstairs, followed by two murmurs. Probably other occupants having late night drinks. Granger leaned against the railing, glancing at the ground floor.

The inn keeper was missing from her spot behind the desk. The front door was closed shut and rain pattered on the window. X.Borg stood close to the hunter, making the older man raise a brow at him. Granger shrugged the cyborg’s hand off his shoulder before pointing to the lower floor.

“Let’s check what’s downstairs.” The hunter walked ahead. X.Borg stumbled trying to catch up to his partner. The heavy thud of Granger’s boots echoed in the empty lobby.

There was nothing out of the ordinary, or anything that would explain the sounds X.Borg heard. The dried up flowers remained withered in their pots, not getting enough water or seen any sunlight. The lights swayed slightly in the ceiling. X.Borg jumped at a sudden flapping noise coming from above.

“It’s just a bat.” The demon hunter beside him stated. Ignoring the shaking cyborg, Granger turned to the bar beneath the second floor. Two silhouettes sat at one of the table, shrouded in the dark. Glass clinked and laughter came from its direction. The hunter’s hand sneaked to the gun holster on his belt. Slender fingers wrapped around the grip.

As they got closer, one of the silhouettes turned to their direction. Brown eyes glowed menacingly in the dark. Granger and X.Borg readied to attack when the silhouette jumped up.

“Whoah, easy!” Claude exclaimed. “What’s with the weapons? It’s just me.”

Granger gave X.borg a side way glance. “It’s just an idiot.”

“Hey!”

The hunter lowered his arm. “Come on, X.Borg. It’s just your imagination. There’s nothing here that’s making those howls you heard.”

Gusion’s voice appeared just as he finished. “Howl? You guys heard heard it too?”

Granger cursed under his breath. X.Borg looked like he was about to celebrate the biggest victory he ever had. The assassin and the other marksman looked at each other with one eyebrow raised.

A few minutes passed and all stories of the howl were heard…

“Maybe we should meet with the inn keeper,” Gusion shrugged. “Talk things straight. It’s her inn, anyway.”

Granger shook his head. “She’s not here. I just checked on her. Not even a hair was left.”

“Has anyone checked the basement?”

All eyes went to the brown haired marksman. Claude flinched at the sudden attention before regaining his composure. “Uhh…I saw a door right under the stairs. I don’t think it’s a guest room. Maybe a basement or something.”

“Not a bad idea,” X.Borg pushed Granger to where the door is. “You go.”

“What?!” The hunter exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief. “Why me?”

“This is your stuff, Mikey,” X.Borg grinned although it was slightly wavered at the corners. “Go get ‘em.”

Granger scoffed. “Oh no no no,” He grabbed X.Borg by the collar of his armor. “You’re coming with me, partner.”

Gusion and Claude watched the noisy couple headed for the door before deciding to tail behind them. Granger swung the door, nearly off its hinges and continued dragging a flailing X.Borg into the mystery room.

When the door opened, they were hit with a strong musky smell that made them gag. The wooden stairs creaked under their weight as they descend into the darkness. Gusion summoned a light orb that illuminated where they are heading. Despite being in the shadows, they could see the shapes of whatever is inside the underground chamber.

The light orb scouted the area, giving some vision to whatever that is covered in the darkness. Cobwebs lined the corners on the ceiling, some dangling for any unsuspecting human to walk right into it. Claude flailed his arms around, spitting when he walked into spiderweb. Gusion bit his bottom lip to stop from laughing, though it did nothing to stop his snort.

Granger let go of X.Borg, dragging one finger across the surface of a table. A thick layer of dust covered his finger tip, feeling the grain and fuzz. Wiping the dust on his pants, Granger turned around to the small group.

“There’s nothing here but dust and abandoned furniture,” Granger placed his hands on his hips. “Whatever the three of you heard, it was just in your head. And if it is real, why am I the only one who heard nothing?”

As if on cue, a howl broke through. The cyborg and former thief jumped before hugging each other. Gusion’s face went tomato red from holding his laughter. Granger made a face at his teammates before turning to where the sound was heard.

It was as clear as the day, the howl. It was low, almost like a pained moan. The sound came from their left, in the shadows. Granger turned to Gusion and the mage understood the silent command. The light orb floated to other side of the underground pub. The four men followed the lights, eyes opened for anything out of the ordinary.

A whimper made into their hearing. Gusion summoned one of his magic swords and Granger pulled his gun from its holster. Claude and X.Borg shakily readied their own weapons, sweat dripping down their forehead. Dexter chirped, hiding behind Claude’s shirt collar.

Shrouded in the dark, a pair of glowing bronze eyes watched them carefully. White fangs glint under the light and a growl so menacing that it would make the bravest warrior run for their Mama. Fingers on the trigger and magic power gathered on a single blade, the small team of four slowly got closer to the beast.

However, the reveal came as an odd surprise.

The white dog whined at the sight of four adult male looming over it. The bronze eyes could not move away from them and its ears were pressed flat on its head. The brown nose wiggled as it sniffed at their direction, deciding whether the men are safe or a threat.

“It’s a dog,” Granger was the first to break the silence, his tone going a pitch lower. As if he was confused with his own statement.

Gusion knelt down, slowly as to not scare the animal. The dog growled before whining and curling itself into a tighter ball. The assassin stretched out his hand, relaxing the fingers. The white dog stared at the hand, wondering whether it should bite or let it be. The animal decided to let it be and Gusion took this as a sign to go closer.

“Wait,” Granger’s voice made Gusion froze. The brunette turned to the raven haired hunter. “Don’t touch it, I have a bad feeling.”

“Oh now you’re having a bad feeling?!” X.Borg exclaimed.

Granger’s cheeks went red and he quickly looked away. He whispered a soft ‘shut up’ before going back to Gusion. “As I was saying, that dog’s probably not safe.”

An amused scoffed came from behind. “If you’re scared of dogs, just say it Granger,” Claude grinned. “We won’t judge, ya.”

One look from Granger and Claude hid behind Gusion. The hunter sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry for not taking your words seriously and now I wish the three of you will take mine. This dog is not what it seems. It’s…”

He turned to the white canine. “It’s not just a dog.”

Gusion lifted his hand again and dared himself to touch the dog’s fur. Soft, white fur that felt like cotton went through in between his fingers. The dog lifted its snout, sniffing at the gentle hand of the human in front of it. A whine came from its throat before nudging the palm with its nose, testing the water. When no threat came, the dog rubbed its head on Gusion’s hand.

“Cute little doggy,” Gusion said in a soft, baby voice. He scratched behind its ear. The dog’s tail wagged in pure ecstasy. Gusion scratched the dog on the head before going back to the ear, pouring more affection for the animal. Having a dog of his own when he was a child, Gusion could not stop the nostalgic feeling inside his chest.

X.Borg and Claude stared warily at the dog. They turned to each other before joining Gusion to pet the canine. The white dog was in extreme bliss, having all attention given to it.

Claude tilted his head when his hand met something wet and warm. He lifted his hand, unable to see in the dark. He brought his hand under the orb’s light and brown eyes widened in shock.

“Guys,” He said. “The dog’s hurt.”

Granger watched them fuss over the injured canine. Gusion brought the light orb closer to see the wound. Lo and behold, Claude was right. Near it’s hind leg was a large slash wound. Crimson blood soaked the pure white fur, staining the pristine coat with red. The dog twitched when it tried to move. The canine’s whine cracked through the hearts of the three men minus the one who was still wary of the animal.

Gusion untied the scarf around his neck. It was his favourite but the materials are too easy to find if you know the right merchant. Besides, this poor creature needed some assistant. The dog gave a surprised yelp when Claude lifted it slightly so that Gusion could wrap the scarf around the injured area, putting pressure to where the wound is.

“We should meet with the inn keeper.” Gusion suggested, standing up. The dog whine and wanted to stand up but Claude held it down, scratching it behind the ear.

Granger narrowed his eyes. Gusion gave the hunter his best puppy eyes and it worked (as always). The hunter sighed, turning on his heels.

“Fine, I’ll go-”

“What are you lots doing here?”

The sudden booming voice made all four of them jump. All heads turned to the stairs to see the inn keeper staggering down the steps. Her beady eyes glaring at them before looking down at what got her guests came down to the basement.

“Lucious, what happened?” She hurried to the dog’s side. Her hand running through the animal’s fur before stopping at Gusion’s scarf. She frowned at the delicate cloth. “What is this?”

“It got hurt,” Claude quickly explained, waving his hand to the scarf. “We’re just trying to stop the wound.”

The inn keeper sighed. “How long have you been down here?” The dog nuzzled into her hand. “Nevermind, what matters is that you’re safe and alive.”

She turned to the inn guests. “Please leave this area. It’s still under renovation. No one is allowed to be here except for me.”

The men said nothing and left. Gusion, being the last one to leave, stopped at the steps to look at the dog. The canine whined, staring at the assassin. Gusion smiled, giving it a small wave before leaving through the door.

*****

By the next sunrise, Jackwidj had already arrived with the carriage. The men were more than relief to see the energetic old man again. The carriage door opened, Claude and X.Borg were the first to go in. Granger followed suit but stopped when he noticed Gusion unmoving in front of the inn.

“Penny for your thoughts?” the hunter asked.

Gusion took a deep breath and sighed. “I was hoping to see Lucious again.”

“You really do like dogs, huh?”

“Well, I do have one as a kid,” Gusion smiled fondly at the memory being played in his mind. “It was a labrador, Canis. He was my best friend.”

Granger said nothing. Gusion shook his head and turned to the carriage. “Canis lives in the past. Lucious just reminded me so much of him. The way Lucious looks at us when we first saw him. That’s how Canis looked at me when Father gave him to me on my birthday.”

Gusion sat down beside Claude. Dexter quickly climbed on the assassin’s lap. Jackwidj cracked his whip and the horses started pulling the carriage. Gusion looked out of the window. X.Borg did the same, giving wary looks at the building they are leaving.

A question played in his head on repeat like a broken record. He turned to the raven haired demon hunter. Granger had his head on his head, eyes out of the window. The cyborg cleared his throat and tapped the hunter on his shoulder. When those red eyes shifted to him, he felt his heart stopped.

X.Borg took a deep breath. “Ummm…about what you said earlier. What did you mean about feeling something’s not right?”

Granger sighed. “Instinct, maybe. As a demon hunter, I was trained to sense demon particles in the air. So I can tell if something’s abnormal is near.”

“So you’re saying that when we’re at the basement…”

“I sensed something wrong with the dog,” Granger shook his head. “But I blame on my paranoia. I can’t rely so much on it. It’s probably just a dog scared out of its wit.”

Gusion and Claude turned to each other. X.Borg stayed quiet before turning to look out of the window. Granger drummed his fingers on his face as he stared out into the woods.

What if it’s not just paranoia?

******

The inn keeper watched the carriage rattled away, further and further into the distance. The white dog, Lucious, bound close to her with its tongue lolling. The inn keeper’s wrinkly fingers raked through the soft fur.

“That demon hunter got himself confused,” She said. “You’re safe now, Lucious.”

The dog’s now reptilian, bronze eyes stared at its mistress. With its tail wagging, Lucious followed its owner out of the inn through the backdoor. As they got further, the building shimmered. The once concrete walls dissipate into nothingness leaving none of the furniture inside.

Where the building once stood, was a large cemetery.

The ‘inn keeper’ petted Lucious. A roar of black flame enveloped the dog. Once the fire disappeared, the once beautiful black dog grew into a giant, white demon hound. The bronze eyes turned to charcoal black with glowing red orb for irises. Dagger like fangs filled in its mouth. Dark liquid like saliva dripped from its lips and when it dropped to the ground, the soil hissed like water droplet on a hot surface.

The ‘inn keeper’ climbed onto Lucious’ back. A large scythe formed in her clutches.

With a loud and eerie howl to the dawn, Lucious ran into the woods.

Finding more fear to feast on during Hallow’s eve…

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry if the ending is rushed. I'll edit it when I got the time. 
> 
> If you guys enjoy the story, leave a kudos and maybe follow me on my IG: bleu_wolf99


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